His heart sped up. “Are you inviting yourself to my hotel?”

She nodded. “I am inviting myself. I told you I was known for being direct. It bothers some men. But right now, I don’t care. I’m going to be direct and say what I want.”

He held up a hand like a stop sign. “I told you I’m not most men. I like your direct side and I like your . . . how shall we say, newly submissive one too.”

She flashed him a sweet, innocent smile that nailed him in the heart. He ran his finger across her lips, watching her draw a quick breath.

“What would you think about going with me? Because now that I’ve had you, I want more of you, and we still have a lot of ground to cover. You haven’t tied me up yet or spanked me for that matter,” she said, counting off his omissions on her fingers. “Or used handcuffs.”

“Damn,” he said, with a low whistle. “I’m falling down on the job.”

“I’ll let you make it up to me across the pond.”

“Though, let the record reflect, I have not engaged in any orgasm denial either. Per your request.”

“And I thank you very much for that.”

“Do you want me to have a spreader bar specially installed in one of the rooms for your trip?” he asked in as matter-of-fact a tone as he could muster.

Her eyes widened in shock and she shook her head vigorously. “No,” she said, forming an O with her lips to emphasize her complete lack of interest in that particular BDSM activity. Then she raised her fingers to his face, tracing a line down his jaw. “You’re very sexy when you don’t shave,” she whispered, and heat pulsed in his veins from the out-of-the-blue, unexpected compliment. It gave him hope that this thing between them was more than simply a means to an end for her.

But then, he shouldn’t feel any sort of hope. Hope was risky, and led to things he didn’t believe in. He didn’t possess any hope himself, so it made no sense why he’d want her to think in bigger terms that went beyond the here and now.

“Thank you,” he said, trying to ignore the way his heart beat more furiously as she continued to trace soft lines along his jaw.

“And Nate?”

“Yes?”

“Because you don’t mind it when I speak my mind, I want you to know that I’m really enjoying our lessons. In and of themselves. Sometimes, I don’t think about where they might lead. Actually, most of the time I don’t think about where they’ll lead. I just think about how amazing it all feels with you,” she said, finishing her sweet ode with an even sweeter kiss on his lips that sent his heart racing and his mind galloping. This was supposed to be neat and clean, a tidy little deal that was mutually beneficial below the belt for the both of them.